1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for continuously applying a tape. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for continuously applying, for example, a double-coated tape with a separation sheet for use to secure freshness-keeping agents or desiccating agents on packing bags or the covers of packing containers for accommodating foods such as confections, delicacies, Chinese noodles, hams, salami, sausages and boiled rice to the freshness-keeping agents, the desiccating agents or a belt-like film for use to form the cover of the packing container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a freshness-keeping agent or a desiccating agent has been accommodated in a small bag which has usually and simply been accommodated in a container together with a food. Since the conventional freshness-keeping agent or the like has not been secured to the container, there arises a problem in that the consumers may be mislead to recognize the freshness-keeping agent as a food or places and cooks the freshness-keeping agent with the food on a frying pan or the like.
Accordingly, a method has been studied and employed in which a bag, which accommodates the freshness-keeping agent or the like, is secured to the packing bag or the container.
As a conventional method of securing the freshness-keeping agent or the like, a method in which heat sealing is utilized, a method in which a hot-melt material is used and a method in which a double-coated tape is employed have been widely used. The securing method arranged to use the double-coated tape comprises steps of: automatically supplying a series of bag members formed by continuously connecting the small bags for accommodating the freshness-keeping agent or the like; continuously applying the double-coated tape on the series of bag members; sectioning the series of bag members on which the double-coated tape has been applied and which accommodates the freshness-keeping agent or the like into each bag unit in synchronization with an apparatus to manufacture the packing bags or the packing containers; and respectively securing the thus obtained small bags to the packing bags or the inside portions of the packing containers. In this method, the double-coated tape having a predetermined width is wound around a reel by a predetermined length.
Hence, when a coil of the double-coated tape has been depleted, the following operations must be performed: the operation of the apparatus for applying the double-coated tape is stopped; the reel from which the double-coated tape has been completely depleted is changed for another reel to which a new double-coated tape is wound; and the double-coated tape is set to the commencement state in which the new double-coated tape wound around the reel can be applied on a continuous series of bags arranged in a belt-like configuration.
With the method in which the double-coated tape is used as described above, the operation of the apparatus for applying tape must be stopped whenever the double-coated tape wound around one reel has been depleted, and therefore all of the operations of the apparatus and the process of packing the foods must be stopped as well as stopping the apparatus for applying the tape. Therefore, the manufacturing efficiency has been excessively deteriorated and stopping the apparatus raises various problems.